Thursday, November 29, 2007

Criticism: Incredibly Awful & Insulting Infomercial for 'Presto'

While watching some Current on TiVo (see this post for full review of Current), I was stopped in my tracks by the worst commercial I have seen in quite some time.

The spot was for Presto, which lets you "send email and photos to people who don't have a computer". I haven't been able to find it on YouTube yet, but the 'view demo' link on the Presto site provides a good approximation for it.

The net message is 'Do you have a weak, feeble minded, lazy moron that you know couldn't possibly understand something as complicated as a computer? Would you like to send pictures to that moron every now and then? Of course you would. Lucky for you that we are selling this ugly grey box for only $150 plus $10/month for 'service'. Nevermind that you could FedEx pictures to your moron twice a month for the same amount of money, Presto is a great deal."

Here are some key frames from the online 'dramatization' of the commercial:

Frame 1: Mom is an easily flustered dullard

Presto - I don't want to overwhelm my dumbass mom with anything crazy newfangled like a computer when I can waste money on a stupid Presto box

Frame 2: Mom is such a moron it would be a crazy time suck to have to try and teach her how to use a computer

i definitely cannot spend time trying to train her dubmbass on how to use a fancy computer

Frame 3: Everything could be so much better if Mom had a magic photo box in her parlor

happy days are here because I have my magic Presto box

Frame 4: Mom almost has a heart attack because the magic machine from the future is trying to show her something

OMG! the magic Presto box is trying to show me something

Frame 5: Mom and Dad chuckle together in relief once they realize the magic box is friendly and doesn't mean them any harm

just in case the idiots watching this Presto commercial at home don't realize how magical of an invention it is, let's include some sparkling effects around it